At the Karaoke

Chelsea froze when she caught sight of him standing right in front of her. If anyone told her she’d see him ever again, she’d never believe, but there he was, with that naughty grin in his face that Chelsea wished she could scrub off.

Maxwell sensed the tension between them and turned to face Chelsea.

“What is Chel? You know him?”

“Yeah, what's going on here?”, the Blondie asked

Chelsea looked away and nervously scratched her elbow. She had no idea how she’d tell her friend that she had beaten up his friend.

Absolutely no idea.

“I..I.. I don’t know —”

“What? You don’t know me? You wanna say you don’t know me? I don’t blame you through, after beating the life out of me, who would?”

At Aiden’s statement, Chelsea wished the ground would open up and swallow her alive. She knew she was done for.

But Maxwell didn’t still understand. He faced Chelsea with his face full of confusion.

“Wait a minute, don’t tell me, you’re his red black belt holder? The one who beat him up this morning? ”, the Blondie seemed to understand and burst out laughing.

Maxwell stared at Chelsea in disbelief, not believing his ears, “You were the one who beat him up?”

“I..I..”, she didn't know what to say in defense but her silence gave her out.

“Gosh! I can’t believe this! So, you're the ‘little cute sister’ of Max who beat up this ‘black belt holder’? Impressive! Joke of the year!”, the Blondie couldn’t hold it in any longer and soon, Max followed suit in mocking her.

Chelsea’s face grew scarlet from humiliation. If she had known this would ever happen, she wouldn’t have allowed the guy to even come close to her! But the deed had already been done. She looked down and began to count the tiles in her restaurant, not able to face any one of them.

How she wished she could disappear from their midst, never to return again.

“Chel? Why did you do that? Why did you beat him up? ”, Max asked, in between laughter.

“I just thought, I thought he was a perv! He held on to my waist tightly —”

“That was because you fell! And I held you to support you!”

“No way, you wouldn’t have held on to my waist that way! Weren’t you thought that? Uneducated fool!”

“Oh! Really? Uneducated fool? Because I tried to help a fellow who had her eyes at the back of her head? — ”

“Huh? What did you just say?! Whose eyes are at the back of her head? — ”

“If my memory isn’t jaded, I clearly mentioned NO one’s name! So why the guilty conscience blind fellow?”, Aiden smirked.

“Max look now! He is clearly calling me ‘blind fellow’! Wait till I catch you, beat the illiteracy out of you and put common sense! Free of charge!”, she roared and began chasing him round the restaurant.

“Free of charge? That doesn’t apply to me! You should try putting your eyes at the front of your head where they belong next time, and guess what? It's free! No charges!”, Aiden retorted and began running away from her.

“Why you running? If you're man enough, why don’t you face me, ‘black belt holder ’?”, she continued chasing him.

And so the banter continued, the duo, completely ignoring the Blondie and Maxwell who were completely speechless watching them.

Blondie : “Ouch! My eyes! My poor eyes! Why did I have to follow! The oppression! The oppression is too much! My eyes! ”

Maxwell sighed and stared at the ‘broken’ Blondie with a blank face, but what was going through his mind was, “Sorry dude, but from now on, the oppression is gonna be on ‘pro max’

But he couldn't say it, because that will shatter the Blondie completely.

| TWENTY MINUTES LATER |

“Ah! Isn't that enough! Big Sister! Have mercy on me! I already have brains, I promise, I do!”, Valerian groaned in pain as Chelsea continued to hit him, with no care at all, totally unfazed by his pleadings.

“Hmm! You got brains now? You sure?”

“Yes, Big Sister! I do!”

“Then if you see a girl who’s about to fall on the road, what do you do?”

“Big Sister! I’ll run, run far way from her, I'll - Ah! What did I do?”, Valerian yelled, exasperated.

“Idiot! Now tell me, where’s the sense? If you see a girl about to fall, you hold her! Hold her from falling! Get that?”

“Yes Big Sister, I do! I really do!”, Aiden was at his highest level of boot-licking her. Still, Chelsea wasn’t both pacified and satisfied.

She raised her hand to hit him again but stopped midway hearing Maxwell’s voice. That was when she realized that they weren't the only one.

Maxwell pinched the space in between his brows as he watched Chelsea beat up his friend.

He was now beginning to regret teaching her martial arts. If he had known that a day would come when he’ll watch his friend beaten up by his sister, he would never believe it. But it was happening right in front of his own eyes. He wondered why Aiden didn’t retaliate or defend himself even when he was more stronger than her. But, nothing came to his mind.

He knew he had to do something. The Blondie wasn’t even helping. He had to intervene.

“Chelly! Stop! Just stop!”

Chelsea looked up from Valerian to him. She blinked innocently, “Stop what?”

Maxwell: “…”

Maxwell sighed.

“Just stop Chel”

This time, Chelsea had a serious expression on her face, “Why should I? I mean, I'm clearly enjoying myself with this play thing”, she pointed at Valerian.

Maxwell: “…”

‘Oppressed’ Blondie: “…”

‘Play thing’ Aiden: “…”

Maxwell wanted to laugh if the severity of the matter wasn’t considered. Her expression when she referred to Valerian as a play thing was so serious that you could think she was referring to a toy, or a doll.

He was confused, not knowing what to do with Chelsea

He had to try. If his uncle found out what was happening, he’d be in trouble.

“Remember I promised to make it up to you!”

Chelsea looked at him with a bored expression, “Did I ask?”

“KFC!”

“Nope”

“Swimming!”

This time, she didn’t even look up, “Not interested”

“Kung Fu!”

“No!”

“The shooting range!”

Chelsea cast him an unbelievable look. “Are you kidding me right now? You know what, time’s up! Thank —”

“Clubbing!”

This time, it was the Blondie that spoke. Turned out he couldn't stand the oppression any longer.

Chelsea paused in her movement when she heard the Blondie. There was a faint struggle in her eyes.

Maxwell and Blondie held their breaths in anticipation.

“Forget it”

But ‘Oppressed’ Blondie was determined, “There’ll be lot of boys!”

“Boring”

“Lot of girls!”

Maxwell glared at Blondie when he heard what he said.

How was that an option!

Blondie looked away ‘You don’t expect me to do nothing when my eyes are about to go blind do you? ”

Chelsea paused. Her eyes twinkled. After so long, she stood up and trashed Aiden, letting him fall with a loud thud.

She spoke, “Count me in!”

The trio were speechless.

Valerian: “?!”

Maxwell, who had wasted 98% of his mental strength to stop her: “?!”

Blondie, who was already thinking for improvisation methods if she refused: “?!”

“Uh, Max? Where did you get this alien from?”, he whispered.

“From space”

Blondie: "…" Forget I asked.

Chelsea noticed their odd gazes and was confused, “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

The trio: “Nothing!”

But Chelsea was not assured but she let them be, “Uh... OK? When are we going?”

“Now!”, Maxwell answered.

“Wait, I have an idea, let's have a change of plans”

“Anything you want Big Sister, but where?”

…

| FEW MINUTES LATER |

~ A CERTAIN KARAOKE ~

“Is this your idea of good? A karaoke?”, Blondie asked, in obvious annoyance.

Chelsea shrugged, “At least it’s better than watching your pal beaten up by the other gender, isn’t it?”

Damon slowly nodded in understanding, “You have a point”

“But what’s the difference between a club and a karaoke?”, Blondie asked again.

“The name”, Chelsea simply said.

“Huh?”, Blondie didn't get it.

Chelsea palmed her forehead in frustration, giving herself a mental note to ask Maxwell where he met such lousy and at the same time, dumb friends. First, it was the ‘chicken power’ Valerian and now, questionnaire Damon.

She’d deal with him later.

“You asked what the difference is between a club and a karaoke and I'm telling you now, THE NAME!”

“Sorry Big Sister. I won’t bother you again.” Blondie could see she was frustrated and he didn’t want to be the next ‘scape goat’, to say.

“It’s boring here, watch me go sing!”

At the mention of that, Max already knew what was coming, he wanted to stop her but she had already gone.

She grabbed the microphone from the Lady who was currently singing and cleared her throat, “Hello everyone! I'm here to sing a song and this song is dedicated to those guys over there! No, specially, to the one in the middle! Here it goes!”, she announced with a bright smile that everyone was in anticipation of the song.

🎤🎼♪ “My one and only victim, oh, oh”♪

“Is she crazy?!”, Blondie was stupefied.

“I'm beginning to think she is.”

“…”

🎤🎼♪ “I love hitting you so much”♪

🎤🎼♪“It just gives me joy and I can’t control it, oh, oh”♪

🎤🎼♪“And the softness of your body makes me happy when I hit you, yeah, yeah”♪

👥 “Just what is she doing?”

👥“Such an awful voice! ”

👥“And to think I thought her voice will be as pretty as she is”

👥“Get down, get down! We want Julie!”

But Chelsea wasn’t done yet.

🎤🎼“And It’s because I'm a red black belt holder, yeah, oh”

Their attitude changed 360 degrees.

👥“Continue Grandaunt! We love you!”

Like Blondie, no one wanted to be the next victim of a psycho red black belt holder, so, they continued to brown nose her.

AIDEN

That girl is crazy; big time crazy. She acts like a boy so well you’d think she was a trans gender.

I shook my head watching her humiliate herself. Too bad, she won’t remember anything later.

“You still haven’t told us why you’re here.”, Maxwell reminds me.

Oh Great! Back to where we were before.

I sighed and looked around, from Chelsea who was now dancing, to the audience who looked as though their eardrums were about to burst any moment from then and back to my friends curious gazes, “It’s the usual, my parents on my neck to bring home a wife.”

“So what?”, Damon probed further.

“They are now threatening me with a Bride competition if I don't come home.”

“How many days to go?”, Maxwell asked instead.

That’s what I love about him; his high intelligence.

“Two days remaining.” I confessed.

“What?”, Damon spat out his drink in shock and we both stared at him in disgust.

OK, we get it, he was shocked but there were other ways to express shock without spitting out your drink; that’s the highest level of disgusting.

“I’m sorry.”, he apologized, and signaled one of his guards to get him a tissue. “Two days remaining? Why did you keep it away from us this long?”

“I’m sorry, dad gave me a week and I thought I could handle it alone.”

“And were you?”, Max mocked me.

I looked away, “That’s where you guys come in.”

“But why will Uncle do that? For crying out loud, we’re not in the 18th Century!”, Damon whined, after getting himself cleaned up.

“I tried talking him out of it, but he’s hearing none of it”

“So what you mean right now, is that, you need a wife?”

“Exactly.”, I nodded

“Then why don’t you go for Max’s friend, whatever her name is?”

Damon suggested and I resisted the urge to smack his brains out, if he had any.

“You really want to see me die, don’t you?”, I laughed.

Damon shrugged, “It’s a good thing you know.”

Valerian faced Maxwell, “So, d’you have any ideas?”

Max sighed with his eyes distant, “I don’t know if you’d like it?”

“Really? Anything to get off my parents neck. Tell me, what is it?”

| FORTY MINUTES LATER |

Maxwell, Damon and Chelsea were all splayed on the table, dozing and snoring with the exception of Aiden being only the sober one.

Aiden stared at them in disbelief. Chelsea’s case was understandable, she was a bad drinker, but Damon and Max?

Who did the think will sought out their bills and take them home?

Right, he was there.

“Max, Max, wake up!”, he tapped Maxwell continuously but what the dude had to do was wake up,stare at him with a blank face and then, put his head on the table again, this time, a more comfortable place.

Aiden was speechless. He looked at Chelsea, she was the worse. Her alcohol tolerance level was low, yet she had to drink that much.

Neither of the trio knew when Chelsea began drinking as they were preoccupied by their discussion before Damon opted to join the crowd and then, Maxwell.

He stared at the drools which were already oozing from her mouth to the table and shook his head.

“Carl”, he called out and a tall and sturdy man came out of the shadows and stood before Aiden No one could believe anyone was there.

“Yes, Boss”, he bowed.

“You and Mark, take these two drunkards home.”

“And the girl?”, he was curious

“I’ll deal with her.”, he answered and proceeded to carry the girl from the table.

Carl’s eyes widened in shock. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Was this his boss or another person?

He had to inform His Majesty of the progress.

Aiden, as if reading his thoughts, turned to him with a stern expression, “Mind you, I want none of this getting to the Royal Household. Do you get that?”

He shivered in fear under his intense gaze, “Yes, Boss.”

“Good.”, Aiden knew he had passed the message.

He lifted the girl by the waist and carried her in bridal style out of the karaoke. The moment he stepped out, three black cars drove to his side and halted. A man rushed out of the first car and opened the passenger seat in the second car for him.

“Sir!”

Aiden nodded in acknowledgement and entered the car with Chelsea, ignoring their confused stares. The guard closed the door and rushed to the other car.

“Where to, Boss?”, a voice was heard in the car

Aiden took a long look at Chelsea before answering, “Imperial Villa.”

“Copy that.”

…

| IMPERIAL VILLA |

The cars drove into the Silent but Elegant Villa after verifying their identities.

They stopped at a Block and as usual, the guard rushed out and opened the car for Valerian.

Aiden stepped out of the car still with the girl in his arms. Through out the ride, he didn’t for a second, leave her. He held her and still did not know the reason why he was doing so.

He stepped into his house and blindly groped for the switch. Finding it, he flicked it and light filled the house, highlighting the beauty and elegance of the house from the lofty chandeliers which lit the house to the newly imported chairs from Italy and the nice interior decoration. Above all, the reason he treasured the house was for it peaceful atmosphere. Peace. Just what he needed, after a night in a lousy karaoke.

He stared at the girl in his arms who was already making movements and for the first time, wished Nana was around. He had no idea on how to deal with a drunk lady, no idea. But as they say, there's a first time for everything. So, he had to try.

Taking the stairs, he initially planned for her to use the guest room but his legs took him to his own room. How that happened, he didn’t know.

With his hand on the door knob, he stepped into his dimly lit room and took her to the bed, his bed.

Her tensed body seemed to relax when she was laid on the big, soft and comfy bed.

“Mmm”, she moaned in delight.

Aiden gazed intently at her. Under the dim light, her beauty was perfectly highlighted from her finely shaped eyebrows, to her —

He stopped when he felt the vibration of his phone in his pocket. He took it out and on seeing the caller, his eyes darkened.

He took a last look at Chelsea before stepping out of the room to answer the call.

AIDEN: Greetings, Your Majesty

HIS ROYAL MAJESTY: Save your greetings! How’s it coming up?”

Aiden stiffled a laugh.

Not even a greeting?

“I, it's I —”

“You what? You still haven’t found someone yet!”

“No, I —”

“Tell me the truth!”

Aiden sighed. “No, Father”

The line went dead immediately.

Aiden stared at the phone for some time before heading back inside. He didn't know what to expect. His father had left him in suspense. But he could tell that his father was disappointed.

He shook the thought from his head and stopped by his room, staring at Chelsea’s face which was being illuminated by the moon light.

The sight was both breath taking and captivating.

Then Damon's suggestion came forplaying in his head.

“Then why don’t you go for Max’s friend, whatever her name is?”

Will she… agree?

…